1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fluid heater, and more specifically to a fluid heater with two distinct tanks, one housing cold water and one housing hot water, with a float measuring the water level of the cold water tank.
2. Description of Related Art
For as long as indoor plumbing has existed people have struggled with efficiently heating water for later utilization. Until now, no one has been able to produce a device that, while heating and storing water, is designed to mitigate “wear and tear” on the float element that senses water levels.
One previous approach was to utilize a single tank divided into sections, with the water and steam constantly flowing between the two sections. A problem with this approach is that the heated water was not effectively insulated from the rest of the device. Another problem is that the number of components required for this device to function increased the need for frequent repairs.
Another approach was to utilize a single tank, with the cold water kept within an insulated bag. Again, a problem with this approach is that, by virtue of the insulated bag expanding or contracting, it was very difficult to effectively insulate the cold water container from the heat of the hot water. Another problem was that the pressure difference between the hot water and the cold water in the insulated bag interfered with maintaining a desired flow rate of both.
Yet another approach was to utilize two separate tanks, with a sensor in the second tank to detect when water in the first tank should be sent into the second tank. A problem with this approach is that the corrosive effects of hot water make it difficult to maintain anything beyond the simplest machinery in the hot water tank.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for a fluid heater that efficiently maintains a supply of hot water while minimizing the corrosive effects of hot water on water level sensing mechanisms.